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Symphonic Wind Ensemble to perform for high schools

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PLATTEVILLE, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Symphonic Wind Ensemble will perform its final concert on Wednesday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m. in the Richard and Helen Brodbeck Concert Hall at the Center for the Arts. This year’s spring concert will feature Rebekah Demaree, a music lecturer at UW-Platteville, and Corey Mackey, a professor of clarinet at UW-Platteville, as soloists.

Demaree will be the soprano soloist of Frank Ticheli’s “Angels in the Architecture.” Mackey will perform “Clarinet Concerto” by Artie Shaw, a famous jazz clarinetist, as well as a short encore.

“The program is eclectic,” said Dr. Barry Ellis, director of bands at UW-Platteville. “There is something for everyone, including great soloists, jazz, a march, band masterpieces and the Beatles.”

Matthew Gregg, associate director of bands at UW-Platteville, will conduct “Rocky Point Holiday” by Ron Nelson. Zach Masa-Myers, Symphonic Wind Ensemble student conductor winner, will conduct Franco Cesarini’s “Greek Folk Song Suite.” The remainder of the program will include John Philip Sousa’s “Nobles of the Mystic Shrine” and a tribute to the Beatles, who first performed in America 50 years ago, in 1964.

The Symphonic Wind Ensemble and UW-Platteville’s Jazz I Ensemble will then tour and perform in high schools throughout the area April 24-25.

On April 24, the ensembles will perform at Platteville High School, Platteville; Dubuque Senior High School, Dubuque, Iowa; and Oregon High School, Oregon, Wis. At Oregon High School, the tour will play at an evening concert that also features the Oregon High School band. On April 25, the ensembles will tour and perform at Fort Atkinson High School, Fort Atkinson, Wis., in the morning and at Clinton High School, Clinton, Wis., in the afternoon.

Ellis said the concerts provide an opportunity to showcase UW-Platteville’s music program as well as its student and faculty work. Touring also offers high school students a venue to attend a concert that many might not attend otherwise.

“The high school students could be future patrons of the arts,” said Ellis. “We want to offer them a little taste of how wonderful it is to hear great music in a live setting.”